Control for lasting machine



June 2, 1959 T. A. wElsz 2,888,693

CONTROL FOR LASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 3. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1959 T. A. wElsz 2,888,693

CONTROL FOR LASTING MACHINE Filed Feb. s, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 24 2,888,693 Patented June 2, v1.95"9

`CONTROL FoR LASTING MACHINE Thomas A. Weisz, Plymouth, Mass., assigner to Jacob S. Kamborian, West Newton, Mass.

Application February 3, 1956, Serial No. 563,270

6 Claims. (Cl. 12-12.4)

This invention relates to lasting machines and more especially to toe lasting machines and control of the wiping action.

Conventionally, toe lasting machines are provided with a shoe support and toe embracing wiper blades which are relatively movable to enable the operator to bring the toe and wiping blades into the best position for gathering and wiping the margin of the upper against the bottom in spite of such variables as size and weight or condition of the stock. Heretofore such adjustment of the parts has been attained by independently operable actuating members requiring the use of one foot and one hand or both hands, or of transferring one hand from one operating member to another with the result that it was difficult to attain satisfactory conditions for wiping quickly and accurately.

The principal objects of this invention are to eliminate the need for independently operating elements for the two adjustments and to confine the control to single manually operable means which will facilitate rapid and accurate adjustment of the parts for effecting goodlasting. Another object is to provide a control member which is designed to have multiple movement easily coordinated to natural muscular effort on the part of the operator. Another object is to provide a device, the movement of which is related directly to the movements of the operating instrumentalities so as to be natural in motion to the operations carried out. Another object is to provide a machine in which control is simplified thereby reducing the mental and physical effort required to effect operation and in which the complexity and number of operating parts are reduced thereby reducing manufacturing costs without sacrifice in dependability.

According to the invention a single handle bar is operably connected to independent power actuated means which control the movement of the shoe support and wiper. The handle bar is manually responsive to different muscular efforts on the part of the operator which, however, are coordinated and may be preformed simultaneously or independently to produce movement of the parts. The coordinate movements are push and pull movement in a horizontal plane and rocking wristmovement about a horizontal axis in the horizontal plane. The power operated means are operated by the handle bar. They are comprised of two cylinders with pistons and rods, the latter being connected to the shoe support and wipers, and pilot valves for controlling the admission of uid to the cylinders. Each pilot valve has a casing and spool which are relatively movable, the former having a pair of outlet ports connected to the cylinder at opposite ends thereof, and the latter being movable by movement of the handle bar to a displaced position, thereby to admit uid to the cylinder. The valves are mounted for movement with and in corresponding amount to" the movement of the operating instrumentalities so that as movement of the instrumentalities takes place the valve parts tend to be restored to relatively neutral positions following displacement of the spools in either direction, thereby causing the instrumentalities to follow the motion of the handle bar in amount and direction.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a toe lasting machine showing the wipers, shoe support and control means therefor;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally of the control valve showing diagrammatically its connection to the piston -rod of the power cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the top of the machine with the cover omitted;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the control mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the control mechanism.

By Way of illustration the control mechanism is shown herein applied to the toe lasting machine which forms the subject matter of Patent No. 2,668,967. In that machine a supporting frame consisting of a hollow base 10 and cap 12 provides support for a horizontally arranged slide 14. The forward end of the slide 14 rests upon a wiper support 16 and which may, for example be a web inte-gral with the cap 12 and which extends across the cap from one side to the other. This wiper support is provided with a smoothly finished upper surface forming a guide for a pair of wiper actuators 18 and 20, whose undersurfaces are shaped to provide guideways for a pair of wipers 22 and 24. The forward end of the slide 14 has pivotally connected to it the rear ends of links 26 and 28 which extend forwardly beneath the wiper actuators and are pivotally connected thereto at their forward ends. The wiper actuators are provided with slots of proper shape to impart the desired wiping movement to the wipers and movement of the actuators is effected through the aforesaid links by reciprocation of the slide 14.

The wiper support 16 is shaped to provide a guideway for a trimming blade or cutter 30 which is disposed immediately beneath the wipers and which is guided for movement from front to rear.

In accordance with the disclosure of the aforesaid patent a shoe upper, drawn on a last, is supported in a position to be operated upon by the wiping blades 22 and 24, on a pin 25 which in turn is mounted on a carriage 32, a fragmentary portion of which is shown in Figi l, vertically slidable in ways on the wall of the frame. The details of the carriage, supporting pin and the various adjustments are clearly described in the aforesaid patent and hence need not be recounted herein. As there illustrated the lasted shoe is supported on the pin 25 bottom up in a nearly horizontal position with its toe resting on a toe supporting roll, shown herein at 34. This roll 34 is rotatably supported in a bearing 36 fast to the upper end of a rod or post 38 mounted at the inside of the frame and slidable vertically in a guide 40.

As herein shown movement of the slide 14 and of the toe support 34 and carriage 32 are produced by motors 42 and 44 (Fig. l) which are preferably-pneumatically operated piston and cylinder assemblies. The motor 42 is comprised of a cylinder 46 having a head 48 at one end pivotally connected to the frame of the machine by a pin 50 and bracket 52. The cylinder contains a piston to which is fixed a piston rod 54 which protrudes from the opposite head 56. The protruding end of the piston rod 54 has fastened to it a block 58 which is bifurcated pivotally to receive one arm 60 of a bell crank lever 62. The lever is pivoted on a pin 64 carried by bosses 66 integral with the frame. crank lever 62 is pivotally connected by links 70 to the rear end of the slide 14. Movement of the piston rod 54 will therefore effect reciprocation of the slide 14 by rocking the bell lever.

The motor 44 is comprised of a cylinder 72 bolted to The other arm 68 of the bell.

assenso the inside of the frame near the base and contains a piston and rod protruding from the upper end of the cylinder which may be an integral part of the post 33 or may be fastened thereto at some point between the top of the cylinder and the toe support 34. Movement of the piston in the cylinder '72 will therefore effect vertical movement of the post 38 and hence elevation of the toe supporting roll 34, and of the heel carriage 32 which moves vertically with it. Movement of the carriage with the post 38 is effected as illustrated in the aforesaid patent by a sleeve 33 on the post which has extending forwardly therefrom an arm 35 which is connected to the rear plate 37 of the carriage.

The motors 42 and 44 are supplied with pressure fluid by way of pilot valves V1 and V2 respectively, adapted, as will be described hereinafter, to supply pressure uid to one end or the other of the cylinder with which it is associated `depending upon their actuation. ln accordance with the invention the pilot valves are controlled through linkage by a common handle bar 76 (Figs. 3, 4 and so that control of the motors and hence the wipers and toe support may be effected simultaneously and/or independently. The common handle bar consists of a rod 78 (Figs. 4 and 5) carried by an angle member 80, the latter being arranged to swing in a horizontal plane on a vertical pin 82 screwed into a block 34. The block 84 is fastened by screws 86 to the underside of a bracket plate 88, which in turn is fastened to the lower end of a bracket 90. he upper end of the bracket 90 is fastened to the underside of the slide 1d so as to move in reciprocation therewith. Hence the handle rod moves horizontally with the slide. The bar 78 is mounted on the arm dil for rocking movement about its longitudinal axis by means of a shank 79 of reduced section which passes through the arm 8h and is secured in place by nuts 31 threaded on its inner extremity. Between the rear side of the arm and the nuts are a friction disk 83 and a Washer 85' which provide for increasing or decreasing the force necessary to rotate the handle on its longitudinal axis. Movement of the handle bar 76 in a horizontal plane about its pivot pin 82 is operable to actuate the pilot valve V1 and rotation of the handle bar about its longitudinal axis is operable to actuate the pilot valve V2 as will now appear.

The pilot valve V1 (Figs. 4 and 5) is fastened to the underside of the bracket plate t; in a horizontal position and is movable forwardly and rearwardly with the slide 14. The valve contains a slidable valve spool which has projecting from one end of it a rod 92. The protruding end of the rod 92 is pivotally connected to the angle arm 8O by a pin 94 projecting through an elongate slot 95 in the arm so that movement of the arm will displace the position of the spool in the valve, operation of which will be described hereinafter. The pilot valve V2 is bolted in a vertical position to the rod or post 3d and is movable in elevation therewith. his valve also has a valve spool and a protruding rod 96 which for convenience is connected to the handle bar 76 for movement in one direction by a series of elements 38, 11211, 1-92, 1&4 and 112 and in the opposite direction by a spring 18d. The element 93 is a link pivotally connected to the post 3S adjacent the valve V2 above the rod 56 which is held thereagainst by the spring 195. The distal end of the link 93 is connected to the element 19t) which is also a link and this in turn is connected to one arm 1li/2 of a rigid right angle member 111. rl`he other arm 1M- of the right angle member 111 is vertically slidable in a guide 10S and has at its upper end a crossbar 11? arranged in a horizontal position beneath the handle bar. A cani 112 is mounted on the shank of the rod 73 and rests on the crossbar 110, the crossbar being long enough so that the cam will have contact with it throughout horizontal movement of the handle bar. A coiled spring 113 stretched between a pin Xed to the right angle member 111 and a screw or bolt on the guide 1.08 holds the crossbar 11G il elevated in yieldable contact with the cam 112 at all times. Rotation of the handle bar about its longitudinal axis will accordingly actuate the valve V2.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the two valves V1 and V2 may be operated simultaneously and/or independently by means of the single handle bar.

The pilot valve mechanism which responds to movement of the handle bar, either in horizontal or rotary movement, is substantially identical for both cylinders and hence only one will be described herein.

Referring to Fig. 2 each pilot valve consists of a case 115 containing a valve spool 117 slidable therein, the ends of which project from the case and one end of which carries the actuating rod 92 or 96 as the case may be. The case 115 has an inlet port 116, a pair of outlet ports 118 and a pair of vent ports 12h. The inlet port 116 is connected to a suitable conduit to supply air under pressure and the outlet ports 118 are connected by conduits 122 to the opposite ends of the cylinder of the motor 42 or 44. The case 115 has four spaced yannular grooves, the two end ones 124 of which are in communication with the vent ports and the two intermediate ones 126 of which are in communication with the outlet ports 118. The spool 117 has a pair of spaced pistons 128 arranged intermediate its ends which provide in combination with the ends 130, three annular grooves, an intermediate one 132 and two end ones 134. When the spool is in the position in which the pistons 123 cover the intermediate annular grooves 126 in the case, the valve blocks fiow of fluid through it to the cylinder. At this position the end grooves 134 in the spool lie opposite the end grooves 124 in the case and the intermediate groove 132 in the spool lies opposite the inlet port 116 of the case. If the spool is shifted to the right, the righthand piston 128 will uncover the right-hand groove 126 in the sleeve and hence will permit fluid entering the inlet port 116 to pass through the right-hand outlet port 113 and to be conducted therefrom through one of the conduits 122 to the left-hand end of the cylinder. At the same time the left-hand piston 128 uncovers the lefthand outlet port 118, permitting fluid at the right-hand end of the piston in the cylinder to be forced out of the cylinder through that port into the groove 124 at the left-hand end of the case and from thence through the left-hand vent port 120. Shifting the spool in the opposite direction will produce the reverse ow of fluid.

As previously explained, in each instance the valve is mounted on the part which is moved by admission of fluid to the cylinder associated therewith and in the same direction. As thus constructed it is apparent that when the spool in the valve is displaced in a given direction and thereby produces movement of one of the operating instrumentalities, the valve casing will follow, that is, move in the same direction as the spool so as to tend to restore the relative positions of the spool and casing to neutral. Thus if displacement of the spool is brought to a stop the casing will move a corresponding distance and stop. This following movement makes it possible to govern and control movement of the operating instrumentalities very carefully since they will follow the movement of the handle closely and substantially simultaneously in either direction.

The spool in the valve V2 has little chance to drift from its neutral position because it is held against the link 98 by the spring 1196 and the handle bar 76 has little tendency to rotate except when manipulated, due to the brake eect between cam 112 and angle arm dit. There is, however, some tendency for the handle bar 7e to be carried by the moving slide 14 through bracket 9i? when the hand is removed from bar 76; hence to keep the valve V1 in neutral position when the hand is removed frorn bar 76, spaced flat spring fingers 141B are mounted on an arm 142 fastened to the block 3dso as to have contact with opposite sides of the arm Si).

Since both Valves are controlled by the single handle bar, either by horizontal movement or rocking movement thereof, which may be eiected independently or concurrently it is evident that control of the wipers and position of the toe rest and associated heel supporting carriage can be coordinated with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the operator.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a toe lasting machine a vertically movable shoe support, a horizontally movable end embracing wiper, power operated means for effecting movement of the shoe support and the wiper, and means for controlling said power operated means, said means being supported for horizontal movement and rotational movement in the plane of its horizontal movement and being manually operable by pushing or pulling, and rotation, independently or concurrently to elect independent or concurrent movement of the shoe support and wiper.

2. In a toe lasting machine a vertically movable shoe support and a horizontally movable end embracing wiper, power operated means for eecting relative movement of the shoe support and wiper, said power operated means including cylinders containing pistons and rods, one rod being connected to the shoe support and the other to the wiper, a pilot valve associated with each cylinder, each pilot valve having ports connected to the cylinder with which it is associated at opposite sides of the piston therein, a spool in each of the valves normally in a neutral position blocking the ports, a handle bar mounted for horizontal and rotary movement, means connecting the handle bar to the spools for displacement 0f the spools in response to horizontal and rotating movements of the handle bar, the displacement of each spool with respect to its neutral position admitting pressure uid through the valve into one or the other end of its associated cylinder, and means connecting the valves respectively to the shoe support and wiper for following movement with and in the direction thereof, to restore the spools to their neutral positions in the valves following displacement.

3. In a toe lasting machine a vertically adjustable shoe support, a movable wiper, means supporting the shoe support and wiper for relative movement, independent uid pressure operated cylinders for effecting relative movement of the shoe support and wiper, a pilot valve for controlling each cylinder, each pilot valve including a valve casing and spool, said casing and spool being relatively movable, yieldable means normally tending to hold the spool in neutral position with respect to its casing, said casing having an inlet port for pressure uid and two outlet ports connected to the cylinder at opposite ends, said spool in its neutral position allowing pressure fluid to enter the inlet port and blocking the outlet ports, a single handle bar, means operable by the handle bar to displace the spools so as to open one of the outlet ports and means connecting one valve casing to the shoe support and the other to the wiper for effecting relative following movements of the casings with respect to the handle bar to restore the relative positions of the casings and the spools to neutral position.

4. In a machine for lasting shoes and which comprises horizontally movable wipers and a vertically movable shoe supporting jack, in combination, a single manually actuatable handle disposed at one side of the machine and which is movable from front to rear about a vertical axis and which is also rotatable about a horizontal axis, and means responsive to the movements of the handle about said respective axes for varying the height of the shoe and for actuating the wipers.

5. In a machine for lasting shoes and which comprises horizontally movable wipers and a vertically movable shoe supporting jack, in combination, a single manually actuatable handle disposed at one side of the machine and which is movable from front to rear about a vertical axis and which is also rotatable about a horizontal axis, motor means for actuating the wipers, motor means for adjusting the jack vertically and means responsive to the motion of the handle about one of said axes for controlling the wiper actuating motor, and means responsive to the motion of the handle about the other of said axes for controlling the jack actuating motor.

6. In a toe lasting machine, a shoe support, an end embracing wiper, means supporting the shoe support and Wiper for relative movement, motor means for effecting relative movement between the shoe support and wiper, a single manually actuatable handle for controlling said l motor means, said handle being supported to extend laterally from one side of the machine in a horizontal position for horizontal forward and backward movement and rotation about its horizontal axis by pushing and pulling and rotation, and means operably connecting the handle to the motor means which are responsive to pushing or pulling and rotation of the handle independently or concurrently to effect independent or concurrent relative movement between the shoe support and the wiper.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,230,244 Hart et al. Feb. 4, 1941 2,409,041 Hart et al. Oct. 8, 1946 2,460,933 Hart Feb. 8, 1949 2,469,453 Collins May 10, 1949 

